


Rampion's Daughter and the Seer

by qwerty



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/F, Fairy Tales, Prophecy, insensitive fashion advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-26
Updated: 2012-12-26
Packaged: 2017-11-22 13:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/610212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qwerty/pseuds/qwerty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first thing Vivian said to Morgana the first time they met was, "What are these ugly rags? Who dressed you, the scullery maid?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rampion's Daughter and the Seer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jelazakazone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelazakazone/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, Jelazakazone. Sorry this is a bit tardy; may everything good come to you in a timely fashion in the coming new year!

In his youth, King Olaf had been a brave and adventurous young prince, and Princess Vivian's mother, they said, had been the fairest maiden in the land, and she had saved the then-prince Olaf from the curse of an evil witch with the power of her loving tears. Less commonly bruited was the tale that she had been the witch's daughter, and Olaf had been cursed for secretly climbing the witch's tower to pay court to the lovely maid within, and that the power of her loving tears was really a reference to magic.

But even her magic could not save her from the natural order of things, and when his beloved queen died shortly after giving birth to Vivian, King Olaf grieved, then redoubled his love and protectiveness for his little golden daughter, who grew prettier and more like her mother year by year. He saw to it that she only received the prettiest dresses made from the finest materials, and the kitchen saved all the best morsels and fruit for her, and summoned the most renowned minstrels in the land to perform for her.

Vivian took his indulgence as only her due right, doting on her dear father in turn and disdaining all the many suitors who came to their castle, and it seemed nothing could come between the father and daughter. So this happy state of affairs remained until Morgana came to stay with them as Olaf's ward in Vivian's fifteenth year.

The first thing Vivian said to Morgana the first time they met was, "What are these ugly rags? Who dressed you, the scullery maid?"

Morgana drew herself up stiffly, instantly on guard. "They're mourning dress. My father," she said, and her voice cracked.

Vivian looked down her nose at the older girl, though it was difficult as Morgana was taller than she was. "Well, that's no reason you should look like a beggar." She studied Morgana's pale, fixed face thoughtfully. A servant had carried a pack upstairs when she came, but that was all. "Where are your other clothes? Your shoes and jewels?"

Morgana tensed even more. "We ... my nurse and I had to leave Camelot in a hurry, and we didn't pack much." She looked frightened then, which was odd for how strong and determined she had seemed to Vivian at first.

"No matter," Vivian declared, and took Morgana by the arm. "You're very pretty. I'm sure I have some dresses I can have altered to fit you. Come." She hauled Morgana to her room, and held up dresses to see how they looked against the girl's ivory complexion and dark tresses while Morgana patiently put up with Vivian's pushing her about to check the drape of the dresses and how they would look from different angles, lay her brightest jewels against Morgana's neck while Morgana bore it as though they were nooses, and when it was time for supper, Morgana had a fine wine-dark dress and deep red garnets to wear down to meet King Olaf's court, arm in arm with Vivian, and all present were duly impressed by the king's new ward.

"I never saw this," Morgana murmured, then caught herself, glancing about fearfully. Vivian sniffed.

"You should just trust me, I am never wrong," she said, and ordered Morgana's few possessions moved into the rooms next to hers.

Morgana had, Vivian discovered, terrible dreams. Dreams that woke her screaming in the night, left her pale and inconsolable even after she was done weeping, half-choked and unwilling to speak. Whereas Vivian's nightmares, when she had them, were always quickly forgotten with her father's kind hand on her head. Perhaps her father had magic like her mother did, even if he said he didn't.

It didn't help that Morgana's nurse seemed a rather unhelpful sort of nurse, unreasonably frightened of her quiet charge and scuttling away from her side at every excuse, even though Morgana did not seem a very bad-tempered or cruel sort of mistress.

More often than not, it was Vivian's maidservants who helped attend to Morgana throughout the day, and finally, after an incident when a fire started in Morgana's rooms and no one noticed until it was nearly too late, Vivian made up her mind and told Morgana, "I am dismissing your useless nurse. You will come sleep in my bed with me, and share my hot posset before we sleep, and we will see if that helps with your bad dreams, when you are surrounded by people. Perhaps it is too cold this season," she mused, for winter was coming on hard and gusty, and Vivian herself was feeling the cold even with her fire made up as high as it would go.

"I don't think it would help," Morgana answered palely, but Vivian did not let herself be dissuaded.

"How should you know unless you try? Father always said Mother didn't know her magic would heal his eyes, and she was prepared to stay with him even had he remained blind," she said, and Morgana went silent, her eyes very wide at Vivian's mention of magic. Perhaps because she was from Camelot, where King Uther was carrying out some kind of ridiculous vendetta against magic users, but Vivian hadn't realised that Morgana might share such prejudices. "My Mother was a powerful witch, didn't you know?" Vivian asked, frowning, waiting for Morgana to scream and demand to move back to her own rooms.

"I ... I hadn't heard," Morgana said, clearly shaken, but she did not look horrified. "Do you ... do you have magic too?"

Vivian shrugged carelessly. "I'm as unmagical as Father, but that's all right, he says. I am perfect just as I am. Do you want cinnamon or honey in your milk?" she asked, ringing the bell for her maidservant.

"Cinnamon," Morgana said, and she did not take her eyes off Vivian even while they drank their warm milk. Perhaps she was still suspicious that Vivian might have magic.

The milk did not help. When Morgana began to mutter and toss in her sleep, waking Vivian, Vivian sat up, peeved and shoved at Morgana's shoulder. "Wake up! You're dreaming again!" She felt a little sorry when Morgana bolted upright and clapped her hands over her mouth to hold back her cry. "Come on," Vivian said, and pulled Morgana into her arms, stroking Morgana's pretty black hair. "I have no magic, but Father doesn't either, and it always helps me when he does this."

Still only barely awake, Morgana clung to her and trembled, and tears spilled from her pale eyes. "The Dragon," she gasped out, and Vivian went instantly alert, trying to recall the lore she had read about dragons. "he said I was a witch and I would destroy everything. I don't want to," she burst out, and began to weep.

Vivian scowled as fiercely as she could, and shook Morgana, startling her from her fit of despair. "How silly can you be? Listening to a Dragon! Witches don't destroy things, they cast magic spells and lay curses. It's Dragons that destroy things and devour fair maidens, all the stories say so."

Morgana regarded her with complete shock and bemusement. "But ..."

Vivian shook a warning finger at her. "I would know! Mother was a witch, and her Mother as well. Neither of them destroyed anything! Obviously the Dragon was trying to make you doubt yourself so he could eat you without a fight. It's a good thing you have me. I'm not a prince, but I'm sure a princess is just as good, if not better. It was Mother who saved Father from his curse after all."

The glow in Morgana's eyes was more than magic, Vivian was certain. Morgana dried her tears and embraced Vivian, and they lived happily ever after, especially after Morgana's bad dreams gradually turned into good dreams, then very nice dreams as the days went by and the two girls grew closer.

**THE END**


End file.
